Voila! A fête!

A raucous crew of merry-makers stormed the Lobby Lounge in swirl of voices and kinetic energy. With ages that range from 6 years to 7 months, the 5 siblings, accompanied by their mother and an au pair, filled the lobby with joy as they had their first taste of The Pfister Hotel.

The bilingual brood spend much of their time speaking French, to the delight of the multi-lingual concierge, Bernard. The children quickly exhausted my tres petite knowledge of the language, but were able to get all of their questions answered by the stalwart Bernard.

The little ones, enraptured with grandeur of their surroundings, placed an order for the only beverage befitting the elegance of the room: hot chocolate. Shortly, their treats arrived in cups whose size rivaled only the children’s eyes when they appeared at the table. Requiring both hands and more than a little concentration, the children reveled in each rich, warm sip of the chocolate.

Before long, cups were emptied, and the troupe was eager to begin exploring the hotel. The group found a contagious delight in all they encountered, where it be a particularly striking painting, or an employee diligently vacuuming a room in preparation for an upcoming event. The highlight of the tour was a trip to the Artist in Residence studio. Dazzled by the glittering dresses trimmed in gold and the sparkle of the beadwork waiting to become part of a new creation, the children were enraptured by the pageantry on display in the studio.

The whirlwind of laughter, smiles and near perpetual movement clamored toward the exit, leaving the lobby strangely still in their wake. Finding their first taste of the hotel to their liking, the roisterers began plotting their next visit to coincide with the arrival of the man of the season, Santa Claus himself!